D25 leaders struggle through five-hour meeting

Arlington Heights School District 25 leaders slogged through a meeting Thursday night that lasted five hours, one that included verbal sparring and accusations of fear-mongering, as well as whispering, note-passing and giggling among two board members and the abrupt early exit of a third.

The agenda was packed with hot-button issues including special education and an elementary school Chinese language program. More than two dozen parents, teachers and staff members attended the school system's February meeting in the cafeteria of Westgate Elementary School, a crowd larger than normal for the district of 5,100 students.

As a snowstorm brewed outside, the seven-member board's heated discussions continued into the night, with officials at times combative and challenging, as well as critical of staff and partners. Some board members acknowledged the charged atmosphere was unusual but attributed it to the time of night and the issues at hand.

"There was a lot of back and forth," said school board President David Page. "It was really late – people get more on edge."

Throughout the meeting, board bember Diana Chrissis and board Secretary Susan Preissing passed notes, giggled, chatted and whispered to each other. Fellow board member Denise Glasgow said she noticed the interactions and called them a distraction, and parent Bonnie Graham -- who was critical of the board during public comment – called their behavior unprofessional.

During discussion of the Chinese language instruction program for elementary school children, Chrissis also challenged Page about his cost analysis of the program, saying: "Is it the issue that it's Chinese? Is that your heartburn?"

But Glasgow said the next day that she was upset when she arose, muttering under her breath and failing to even put on a coat, to leave the meeting about 11 p.m. in the middle of the agenda. She said on Friday that she was sorry for leaving unannounced but felt she'd covered the remaining agenda items with staff beforehand.

"It's no excuse, but after a certain hour, it's not a productive meeting anymore," she said.

Glasgow said she was "stating the obvious" on Thursday night when she acknowledged parents' and staffs' concern that the Futures Education report would result in layoffs and cuts to special education services.

Chrissis and Preissing responded by denouncing Glasgow's assertion, with Chrissis saying the community reaction was "hurtful" and "insane."

During the same discussion, board Vice President Charles Williams said the idea that cuts were coming and that the special education study itself was malicious was an act of "fear-mongering" in the community.

At one point, during its monthly update, Arlington Teachers' Association President Pete Reckard told the board he was offended by what he considered a negative description of the teachers union by Chrissis, the board representative in contract talks scheduled to begin next week.

As he returned to his seat in the audience, Chrissis called him back to the microphone to discuss the slight publically, saying: "This is embarrassing, Pete."